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Farscape: DNA Mad Scientist
"DNA Mad Scientist" is the ninth episode of season one of the science fiction television series Farscape. It was directed by Andrew Prowse and written by Tom Blomquist. It first aired in the United States on the Sci-Fi Channel on June 18th, 1999. In this episode, the crew of Moya meet an alien named NamTar who offers them the opportunity to chart a course towards their respective home worlds without running afoul of the Peacekeepers. As payment for his services however, NamTar demands a very unusual fee - one of Pilot's arms! Synopsis ]] An alien scientist called NamTar is taking DNA from the crew with needle to the eye. He will enter their genetic data into his database so he can give them data on the location of their home worlds - a genetic map that can also show the boundaries of Peacekeeper territory so they can avoid it. As well as their DNA though, he wants a genetic sample from Pilot as payment. But a DNA sample won't do, he requires one of Pilot's arms... Aeryn Sun and John Crichton are drinking in a bar a little later, as he is consoling himself on the fact that NamTar doesn't have Earth in his database of over eleven million species. Aeryn reminds him that whilst they are all trying to get home, she can never go home. Crichton says that if Pilot doesn’t volunteer an arm, they'll all be blasting out of here within an arn. She says he saw the look on the other's faces, and who says they'll wait for him to volunteer... Sure enough, whilst Zhaan and Rygel restrain him, Ka D'Argo brutally slices off one of Pilot's arms with his Qualta Blade. They give it to NamTar, who says he'll give them their navigation crystal soon, so they leave. He then mentions that an experiment is not working, and we see some Pilot-like concoction hanging off the wall. Crichton cannot believe that they cut off Pilot's arm without his agreement, even if it will regenerate soon. Pilot says when joined his first duty is to the Leviathan, then to its crew. Aeryn asks them how they could attack one of their own who is so defenceless. D'Argo says he would have done the same to any of them, and says he'll make sure Pilot will cooperate. Zhaan asks Aeryn not to deny them their chances to return home just because she can never do so. Crichton asks Aeryn to drink with him, since when the others go soon it will be just the two of them. She's troubled because not only are they going, but one day he will too. She's always been a Peacekeeper, one of many, never alone. Ever. He says if he does find his way home, he'll take her too. Meanwhile Zhaan says she is surprised by Crichton's reaction, although she expected the sort from Aeryn. D'Argo says if it had been Crichton he'd have given his mivonks to go home. He asks what she would have given, and she replies she'd have given her neema. D'Argo says he's surprised no one's ever tried to use NamTar's data as a weapon, and if he had the chance he most certainly would. He is still feeling a little pain from the needle, but Zhaan says it'll soon be forgotten once they're on their way home. They quarrel over which course to take first, so Zhaan suggests a compromise. ]] NamTar is angry that his experiment is not going well, when Aeryn comes in to see him. She says she's changed her mind and now wants NamTar to take a sample from her so he can find a Sebacean colony outside normal territories. He goes to take a sample from her eye, but instead injects some kind of fluid... Rygel says he will go home first, but Zhaan says she and D'Argo decided earlier that whoever's home is closest would be visited first. D'Argo says that Moya is receiving the data from the crystal, but Pilot says she's not – there's too much data on the crystal for her to process – it's useless. Zhaan suggests that one map could be used, but the other two must be destroyed. Rygel says they could go and get two other individual ones from NamTar, but D'Argo asks what he will demand then. Rygel grabs the crystal and makes a quick escape, so D'Argo goes after him. He's already hidden the crystal in his cell though, so D'Argo asks him to side with him. Aeryn returns to Moya, but is clearly not well, so she returns to NamTar and notices something growing on her chest. She grabs him and asks what he did to her, and he says she's in the latter stages of phase one, but he'd rather not ruin the surprise. Aeryn soon returns to Moya and goes to see Pilot, saying she senses all the DRDs and ships functions, just like he does. He says that's impossible, so she shows him what's growing on her. Crichton enters and she shows him that she has a Pilot's arm growing from her chest – NamTar has injected her with some of Pilot's DNA! She says she only returned to him because she was so scared. Zhaan goes and tries to convince Rygel to side with her by basically offering herself to him, but he doesn't buy it. Meanwhile Crichton takes Aeryn back to the planet, but on seeing Kornata (NamTar's assistant) she screams, prompting NamTar to enter the room. He says Aeryn should be near the end of phase two, and calls Aeryn over to him, saying she's progressing nicely. Aeryn shoots him but he simply regenerates. He knocks Crichton down and takes Aeryn away. .]] D'Argo and Zhaan go to Rygel and say that they give him their oaths that they will take him home first, but they get no answer. They enter his cell and he appears behind them, locking them in the cell. He says he has some trip planning to do, and leaves. Kornata tells Crichton that NamTar will do anything to keep Aeryn, because he wants to add Pilot's multi-tasking capabilities to himself. She reveals that she was the one who set up the lab, with the others here as her employees, and they researched quantum genetics – trying to take out various abilities from life forms to use in others. NamTar was a test subject but after various tests he started improving himself and took over. Crichton takes her to Pilot, and they work together on a cure for Aeryn. Pilot mentions that Rygel has nearly finished with the crystal, when Kornata reveals that if it is imported into Moya's data store, all her memory will be erased. Crichton goes after him, as Zhaan and D'Argo escape. Crichton manages to knock the crystal out of Rygel's hands and it hits the floor, shattering. He tells them all that it was never meant to work. Kornata goes with Crichton to NamTar, but he says he doesn't have the time to fight Crichton again – he'd just kill him. He says Aeryn is not here, and shows him what she has become – a Pilot-like creature! Crichton argues with NamTar about his reasoning for subjecting people to this, and NamTar says that he has realised that all species strive for perfection. Crichton explains there were madmen on his planet like him too, and Kornata blindsides NamTar, injecting him with something that causes him to revert back to his true form. Crichton injects the antidote into Aeryn's eye, and Kornata said he's saved Aeryn's life. Back on Moya, Aeryn has virtually recovered, and Crichton asks what the worst part was. She says what NamTar did to her was like her inside, the real her, and Crichton says she'll fit in great back on Earth. Meanwhile, D'Argo has gone to Pilot and says if the same situation arose, he'd do the same again. Pilot says Luxans do not apologise, and D'Argo shows him something he had been working on. It's a Shilquen, not a weapon but an instrument that he plays to soothe Pilot. Cast Principal Cast Guest Stars Notes & Trivia * This episode has been made available on the Farscape: The Complete First Season DVD collection, the Farscape: The Complete Season One DVD collection and the Farscape: The Complete Series DVD collection. * Production code number: 10109. * This is the second episode of Farscape directed by Andrew Prowse. He also directed the series' premiere episode. * This is the only episode of the series written by Tom Blomquist. * Sean Masterson, who is one of the puppeteers for Pilot, also worked the facial movements for NamTar. Allusions * NamTar is "rat man" spelled backwards. Physically, the character does demonstrate some minor similarities to a rat. The name is also derived from Namtar, a Sumerian god. Quotes * John Crichton: How can you not be angry? Insanely angry? * Pilot: When one of my species is bonded to a Leviathan, we give our lives to the services of others. Ship first, then those that travel aboard her. * John Crichton: No matter what those aboard do to you? * Pilot: My species is incapable of space flight on our own. If we wish to journey beyond our home planet, this is the tradeoff we make for the chance to see the galaxy. I consider it a perfectly equitable arrangement. .... * Rygel XVI: Blue-assed bitch. * Zotoh Zhaan: What did you call me? * Rygel XVI: A blue-assed bitch. .... * Aeryn Sun: How could you? Pilot is defenseless. * Ka D'Argo: Compassion? From a Peacekeeper? * Aeryn Sun: For a comrade. You attacked one of your own. Would you do the same to the rest of us? * Ka D'Argo: Of course. See also External Links * * * * * "DNA Mad Scientist" at the Farscape Wiki Footnotes References Asteroid | Extraterrestrials | Severed limbs Category:1999/Episodes Category:June, 1999/Episodes